All professionals who work with people who use communication aids with facilitation will recognize this scene: You meet someone socially who is keen to show you how well their son/ daughter/student/friend communicates. They get out a communication display (typically a letter board or a small electronic keyboard, often turned off), and then the user looks around the room while his or her hand, held by the facilitator, quickly selects items from the display. The facilitator gives no feedback, and there's no opportunity for the user to correct any misinterpretation of pointing or spelling until the facilitator reels off a complex sentence or paragraph.

While the aid user may well have the skill to produce such a message, this method of mes-sage construction is very unlikely to allow the user's full message to get through. The user may be reduced to accepting distorted versions of intended messages because it's so hard to correct misunderstandings. To observers, the whole process may seem suspect -- they may doubt that the user has any skills, and may assume that the facilitator is manufacturing the entire communication.

So what do you, the "informed observer," do? You're in a restaurant, say, or at a seminar, or walking down a corridor -- it isn't the place, or you haven't got the time, for a lecture on the finer points of facilitation. Nevertheless, you don't want the facilitator to feel that you approve of their misuse of the technique. The leaflet below was produced in an attempt to address this issue. I make a practice of carrying one or two that I can hand out when necessary.

Feel free to make copies, filling in the appropriate local address and phone number at the end.

It's a pleasure to meet you and see you using your communication aid.

Here are some tips which may help you and your partners.

More information about using communication aids with facilitation can be obtained from:

• Look at your aid while you're pointing. This improves your ccuracy, allows you to check the printout (if any), and is ssential for achieving independence.
• Correct your facilitator when they get it wrong. If your facilitator misreads your pointing or misunderstands your message, let him/her know. To do this you must have a MISTAKE or BACKSPACE option on your communication aid.
• Use your communication aid with as many people as possible. This will increase your independence and allow you to communicate more often.

• Check that the aid user is looking at the communication aid while he or she is pointing. Otherwise observers may think that it's you producing the message.
• Give constant feedback. Repeat words and phrases as the message is constructed. If you are using a letter board, you need to say each letter so the user knows what you think she or he pointed to and can correct you if necessary.
• Give the minimum support necessary. Facilitation is used to improve pointing skills. As skills develop, facilitation should be reduced. The goal is independent communication aid use.